1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to firearms and more specifically to an improved hand guard for a firearm.
2. Description of the Related Art
Firearms typically include a receiver that houses several working components of the firearm, including firing components, with a barrel extending from the receiver. There are various classes of firearms that operate in different manners. One class of firearm utilizes a bolt carrier disposed in the receiver that is moveable between a firing position, from which a live round of ammunition can be fired, and a retracted position, from which a spent casing is ejected. The movement of the bolt carrier and ejection of the casing can be accomplished with a direct gas impingement or indirect gas impingement system. Examples of gas impingement type firearms include the M16, the M4®, such as the M4® carbine, and the AR-15®, such as the AR-15® Platform.
Firearms having the direct gas impingement system typically include an ejection port defined by the receiver. Direct gas impingement systems route exhaust gases back through the firearm to move the bolt carrier toward the retracted position. In particular, after firing the firearm, the direct gas impingement system routes exhaust gases, including any associated debris, from the barrel, back through a return tube to the bolt carrier, and out the ejection port of the receiver.
Firearms having the indirect gas impingement system do not route the exhaust gases back to the bolt carrier in an effort to reduce fouling caused by the exhaust gases that may occur with direct gas impingement type firearms. Instead, the exhaust gases are used to move a device, such as a piston, that engages the bolt carrier to move the bolt carrier toward the rearward position.
Often these types of firearms are disassembled and assembled in the field for cleaning and for repair. These types of firearms have complicated construction such that the assembly and disassembly is difficult and time consuming. This is due in part because many of the individual components can not be individually removed but rather multiple components are simultaneously removed and therefore each of the multiple components must be subsequently reassembled. In addition, multiple tools are also required to disassemble and assemble these types of firearms.
While it is occasionally necessary to clean and repair the firearms, such a difficult and time consuming disassembly and assembly is detrimental, especially in stressful situations such as in combat. As such, there remains a need to improve these components and their associated operation.